No fatalities

7 Mar 2021: CESSNA A185F — KWESELL MICHAEL R — Pueblo, CO

Pueblo, CO, United States

On 7 Mar 2021, a CESSNA A185F operated by KWESELL MICHAEL R was involved in an aviation accident near Pueblo, CO. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control in gusting crosswind conditions. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot reported that during landing in gusty winds with 40° flaps, a wind gust lifted the right wing, causing the left wing to strike the ground. The airplane then righted itself and taxied to the ramp with no mechanical issues.

Incident Overview

A pilot reported an incident that occurred during the landing roll in gusting wind conditions. According to the pilot, the landing was completed with 40 degrees of flaps extended. As the airplane reached the taxiway, a wind gust lifted the right wing, causing the left wing to strike the ground. After several seconds, the right wing lowered, and the pilot taxied the airplane to the ramp without further incident.

Pilot's Account

The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane. In reflection, the pilot recommended that he should have been more proactive in using ailerons for crosswind control and should have raised the flaps sooner to prevent the wing from being lifted by the gust.

Analysis

The pilot's account highlights the challenges of landing in gusty wind conditions. The use of 40 degrees of flaps and the delayed flap retraction may have contributed to the wing's susceptibility to the wind gust. However, the pilot did not attribute the incident to any specific causal factor beyond his own control inputs.

Contributing factors

PilotDirectional control — Not attained/maintainedEffect on equipmentResponse/compensation